Breast cancer; article for education and training purposes
Smorenburg, C.H.; Vrancken Peeters, M.T.F.D.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 163
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 31187968 Document Number: 697958
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring malignancy in women. Every year, this type of cancer is newly diagnosed in almost 15,000 women and over 100 men in the Netherlands. The prognosis of breast cancer has improved considerably due to timely recognition using screening and particularly due to improved and multidisciplinary treatment. Nonetheless, annually more than 3100 women still die of breast cancer in the Netherlands. The latest developments in breast cancer care focus on more breast and axilla conserving treatments, and the omission or more limited application of adjuvant chemotherapy or additional radiotherapy if it is deemed safe. In this educational article we discuss aspects of detection, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of breast cancer.